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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Native Hawaiian Caucus Package

Rep. Mele Carroll chairs the Native Hawaiian Caucus

The Native Hawaiian Caucus met on Wednesday to announce their support of a moratorium of the state sale of ceded lands. Rep. Mele Carroll, chair of the Hawaiian Caucus, introduced HB 1667 which proposes to prohibit the Board of Land and Natural Resources from selling, exchanging, or otherwise alienating ceded lands in the public land trust. The Senate companion bill is SB 1085 introduced by Senator Clayton Hee.

In addition, the Hawaiiain Caucus unveiled their 2009 legislative package:

HB1658 RELATING TO EDUCATION. Traditional Hawaiian Navigation; Voyaging Canoes; Pilot Program ($) Establishes and funds a traditional Hawaiian navigation pilot program in the public schools.

HB1659 RELATING TO STATE BUILDING CODE. State Building Code; Bamboo Directs the state building code council to establish standards and criteria allowing the use of bamboo as an accepted construction material.

HB1660 RELATING TO HAWAIIANS. Hawaiians; Indigenous Recognizes Hawaiians as the indigenous people of Hawaii.

HB1661 RELATING TO KULEANA LANDS. Kuleana Lands; 10-year Holding Period Requires the office of Hawaiian affairs to hold in trust any lands where the owner of an inheritable interest in kuleana lands dies intestate and there is no taker under the Hawaii uniform probate code, for 10 years before passing to the office of Hawaiian affairs.

HB1662 RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION. Burial Cave; Historic Preservation Clarifies that a burial site may include a cave or lava tube or a portion of a cave or lava tube. Defines burial cave.

HB1664 RELATING TO CORRECTIONS. Inmate Rehabilitation; Historical Site Restoration ($) Establishes a program within the Department of Public Safety that assigns select, non-violent inmates on a work detail that restores historical sites selected by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

HB1665 RELATING TO HAWAIIAN FISHPONDS. Government-owned Hawaiian fishponds; prohibition on sale. Prohibits the sale of public lands on which government-owned Hawaiian fishponds are located.

HB1666 RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE. Hawaiian Language; Public Documents; Letterhead; Symbols; Emblems Requires that all letterheads, documents, symbols, and emblems of the State and other political subdivisions include both state languages.

HB1667 RELATING TO CEDED LANDS. BLNR; Ceded Lands; Public Land Trust; Prohibition on Disposition Prohibits the board of land and natural resources from selling, exchanging, or otherwise alienating ceded lands in the public land trust.